Absence makes the heart grow fonder... and so do pictures. It's easy to be sucked back in.

Are you not familiar with the Hot/Crazy Scale?

We should distinguish between abandoning a friend or acquaintance because of political beliefs and eliminating that person from an online social feed because of political posts.

Someone might be willing to enjoy a political/cultural opponent's company and yet not want to see that person's input on Facebook or Twitter while the majority of that particular interaction consists of aggravations and interests which are not shared.

Oh, and you guys take my input much more seriously than anyone familiar ever would. That alone is worth the price of admission!

I'm glad to see so the Contributors responding. Great thread, Casey.

I'm young and lazy, so Ricochet reveals to me much that I don't know or had never considered. It's a constant challenge. I'm not always in the mood for a challenge, but mill is ever grinding.

In particular, the variety of professions and experiences among the Ricochet community presents a wealth of knowledge.

Of course, I only stick around to drive Duane and Fred nuts.

My point was precisely that surveillance is becoming easier, cheaper, and broadly available.

Does that have only alarming implications? Of course not. But it certainly challenges us to adapt our expectations and consider changing applications.

Like with automobiles and cellphones, the increasing sophistication and availability of cameras and other monitoring technology will fundamentally alter relationships between citizens... and between citizens and government.

Perhaps it's because laws and regulations have become so numerous and so nonsensical. Rules and cameras cannot replace contextual awareness and judgment of specific circumstances. Too often, the spirit of the law is completely ignored while the letter of the law is rigidly enforced.

I can respect that traffic violations are often more significant in densely populated cities than around American roads and lots in general.

In any case, financial rewards for help enforcing basic standards of public behavior is at best like paying a child to perform his basic chores and at worst like the incentives which gave America a plague of money-grubbing lawyers.

I have never liked the "greatest generation" meme either, because later generations have not been faced with the same circumstances. I respect sacrifices made and responsibilities fulfilled. But there is no reason to believe later generations, even after being raised in a more corrupted culture, would not rise to the occasion if they were faced with the same monstrous scenarios and the same violence along our shores.

The "greatest generation" arises from the same arrogance that leads some soldiers to believe that civilians are all cowards for not having enlisted. Professional militaries are not created due to a rarity of patriots.

Our veterans have earned their honors. But, rather than presenting them to kids as brilliant exceptions, present them as role models to which younger generations should and can aspire. Every generation needs heroes, as well as mundane sacrifices.

Civilians should and must be part of any effective law enforcement. But that civilian enforcement normally merits civilian sanctions, rather than calling on Teacher to come put things right for us. Free citizens are not helpless in the absence of police and bureaucrats.

I respect the concept of civilians actively involving themselves in the maintenance of justice. But John is right that citizens regularly reporting minor offenses to government protectors with exclusive authority to administer justice is a recipe for totalitarian rule.

We already rely on police and politicians far too much in our pursuit of justice.

Good work, Bereket.

Americans still have a ways to go before they are ready to unite in opposition to tyranny. Life is still too comfortable for most people. The leviathan will have to terrorize citizens openly and without reservation before enough Americans believe our nation can experience true and utter tyranny.

Hold onto your hats.

Percival is probably right. But don't be surprised if he asks Germans to open their hearts and their wallets to the EU's leeches in perpetuity.

Exactly, Xennady. Diplomacy does not require politeness or acquiescence. Instead, it requires leverage and a weighing of interests. If our relations with Russia depend upon bribes by way of theft, then our diplomats have failed to communicate our nation's will and power (while it lasts).

Kraft should have called Putin a petty thug to his face. And Kraft's government should have made him confident in doing so.

Even knowing the quality of our spineless bureaucrats, Kraft should have demanded the ring back. If Putin's (unprovoked) guards laid a hand on Kraft, our government would either force amends or prove itself unworthy of Kraft's loyalty. The prime role of government is protection from brutes, afterall.

Thought expirement: If President Obama — or even Senator Obama — had stolen the ring like that, what might Kraft have done?

What might you have done if it was your ring?

I can't wait to hear how this will be spun to fit the "incompetence" narrative. We mustn't attribute bad intentions to anyone, ever.

Unprincipled politicians? Whoever heard of such a thing!

Forced? Why is voting against an unread bill a tough decision?

While we're at it, why is voting against any 600-page bill a tough decision?

Sheep to the slaughter.